Field
This application relates to improved battery cases and chargers for use with a mobile device.
Description of the Related Art
Mobile devices are known to come with an internal battery, used to power the mobile device. However, internal batteries are known to have a limited life. To provide additional power, for at least cell phones, external battery cases for the mobile device have been provided, such as those disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 2011-0159324 that could provide additional battery life to the mobile device.
Battery cases like the ones disclosed in the aforementioned application are designed with a non-removable battery stored inside of the case that can be charged through connection of the case containing the battery to a power source such as a computer or power outlet. Thus, once the battery inside of the mobile device and the battery inside of the case have completely drained, a user would have to recharge the battery case and/or the mobile device in order to continue to use the mobile device without the delays inherent in charging the device. This circumstance may be especially inconvenient when a user is traveling and power outlets are not readily available.
Battery cases are also relatively expensive both to manufacture and to purchase when compared to cases without rechargeable batteries. For this reason, battery cases are generally manufactured in limited styles. This also results in a great risk to manufacturers of maintaining an inventory of a style, color, or design that is unpopular with consumers, which results in a high inventory cost to manufacturers. The expense of battery cases also tends to prevent consumers from purchasing multiple battery cases in different styles or colors. In addition, the external housing and internal electronics of battery cases may themselves be subject to inadvertent damage from impact and the like. Because of the relatively high cost of replacement of both the battery case and the mobile device utilized therein, a user often operates with relatively higher cautiousness to avoid damaging the battery case and mobile device.